Often, one of the first things rescuers might do is look for those individuals who might be good candidates to be refloated. Photo shared by AAP Image/WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions via REUTERS Volunteers and Parks and Wildlife Service staff attempting to move a pod of long-finned pilot whales into deeper waters near Cheynes Beach east of Albany, Australia, July 26, 2023. That means the sea conditions and the slope of the beach have to be suitable. ![]() To get them out far enough, you need boats and sometimes tractors. These animals are generally too big and heavy to rely on muscle power alone. Then, you have to be able to get there in time, with people skilled in wildlife rescue. First, you have to know that a pod has beached itself. Why is it so difficult? Consider the problem. When we try to rescue stranded whales and dolphins, the goal is to get them off the sandbars or beach, and back into deep water. ![]() But rescuers have to have good conditions and a fair dash of luck for it to succeed. It can work and work well, as we saw in Tasmania last year, when dozens of pilot whales were rescued. Unfortunately, towing whales and dolphins is not simple. The animals (actually large ocean-going dolphins) able to be towed or helped out to deeper water turned around and stranded themselves again, further down the beach. Our rescue efforts were, sadly, unsuccessful. Volunteers helped keep the animals’ blowholes above water to prevent them drowning, and poured water on them to cool them down. They used small boats and surf skis to try to get the pilot whales into deeper water. Over the course of Wednesday, more than 100 parks and wildlife staff and 250 registered volunteers worked tirelessly to try to keep alive the 45 animals surviving the night. On Tuesday night, a pod of almost 100 long-finned pilot whales stranded itself on a beach on Western Australia’s south coast.
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